


twice as embarrassing as your senior prom

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [7]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Poisoning, Ballroom Dancing, Brother-Sister Relationships, Dancing, Diapers, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Graphic Description of Corpses, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Non-Consensual Spanking, Non-Sexual Age Play, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Poisoning, Slow Dancing, Spanking, Team as Family, Vomiting, it's almost 2am this is getting posted, something i deeply regret but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 06:32:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18244319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: Seeing as Black Hat is the “lord of villainy”, he’s oftentimes invited to parties by other villains. He typically declines their offers- too pompous and annoying for his tastes- but the theme of one catches his eye… it’s a good thing Flug is well versed in fancy parties!





	twice as embarrassing as your senior prom

**Author's Note:**

> I had a feeling people would vote for this one to be written next, but either way, I’m happy that this is what you guys want to see; I just hope it delivers well! I went OFF though so warning for a Very Long fic (I’m so sorry, y’all).
> 
> (Also, the reason Flug calls Black Hat “papá” even though it's socially acceptable for him to call his father “papi” in Mexico: his first language is English, and although he speaks incredibly fluent Spanish, he's still somewhat unused to the cultural differences, so he sometimes prefers “papá”, especially in front of other people.)
> 
> ((Edited on July 11th, 2019. My entire career in writing can be summed up with "Why tf did you even write this??? And why is it 11k???" and all I can do is shrug and keep fucking around.))

“505, would you please fetch me two cans of pasta sauce?” Black Hat calls over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off the two pounds of ground beef that he's cooking on the stove, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows so he doesn't dirty them while working.

“Baw!” 505 is quick to follow the demon’s orders, retrieving the two cans from under the counter. However, almost skittishly now, the bear approaches his master, paws shaky as he hands the ingredients to Black Hat, who he must assume is going to hit him once he's within reach.

Although it _is_ tempting, Black Hat doesn’t hit the bear. In fact, after taking the cans from 505, he pats the experiment indulgently on the head, giving him a rare smile. “Thank you, 505,” He says, returning to his work. When 505 doesn’t move- just tilts his head and looks at Black Hat with the most dumbfounded expression he can manage- the villain sighs, shaking his head in defeat. “I know, I know… I’m acting rather odd, aren’t I?” Receiving an enthusiastic nod, the villain chuckles under his breath. “I suppose I’m just… _uplifted._ Things have been rather quiet around here, but considering how this manor’s residents are, that’s likely a good thing. No hero attacks, no fights, no kidnappings… all is well.”

“Baw baw!” 505 agrees, wagging his little tail. It’s actually quite cute. Still feeling generous, Black Hat gives him another pat on the head, ruffling his head fur.

It's been just over a month since Black Hat officially adopted Flug, and he's proud to say that he's been over the moon ever since. There's just something so _reassuring_ about how, no matter what happens, Flug belongs to _him_ now. It's nothing like the soul contracts Black Hat is used to; this feels so much more _real._ Admittedly, the demon is still figuring things out, but he wants to believe that this is just the beginning of a new, glorious chapter of his life. In the meantime, Black Hat can't help but grin every time his son's new name comes up in conversation. It makes him feel powerful, knowing that he's the one who renamed his adoptive son. It also doesn't hurt that Demencia's taken a shine to calling his hijo _'Kenny’,_ making it feel even more natural. Yes, life seems to finally be looking up for the old villain.

Just as Black Hat is pouring in the pasta sauce, however, the kitchen door slams open with an overwhelmingly loud _‘bang’,_ causing both Black Hat and 505 to jump in surprise. They both swing around, watching as Demencia enters the kitchen, Flug hot on her heels and spitting venom. The both of them look absolutely _irate,_ and that alone has Black Hat internally groaning; there goes his good mood. The two are arguing at the tops of their lungs once they enter, either not aware or uncaring of those forced to be around them. 505 ducks his head, cowering away once he hears the shouting, while Black Hat simply crosses his arms at the pair, leaning back against the oven/stove. He intends on watching for the time being, but hopefully they'll soon see how irritated Black Hat is and stop their ridiculous bickering.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. “Look, it’s not _my_ fault that the lab is always open, bag boy,” Demencia points out, rolling her eyes at her coworker's bristling anger; Black Hat is well aware that she enjoys riling people up, and unfortunately for the demon, Flug is the perfect target for her, as he's embarrassingly easy to upset. “My frisbee just happened to fly in there, and I didn't want to wait for you to be done with your stupid experiment. Simple as that.” She doesn't actually seem all that invested in the argument, but her boss can see that she's using it as a means to start a fight.

Flug glares wholeheartedly at Demencia, her explanation not nearly good enough to make up for whatever crime she's committed. “I put a sign on the door that literally says _‘Do Not Enter: Experimentation in Progress’,”_ He explains through gritted teeth, before smirking in no way that could be considered kind. “Oh wait, I forgot; you can’t read.”

Demencia scowls, appearing offended. “Shut up, poindexter! You wouldn’t need to do all those lame freaking experiments if you actually put some effort into working out! Give me ten minutes with you in the ring and we’ll see who’s the better villain!”

“Bold words from the girl who can’t even beat her pixie dream-girl doppelganger,” Flug says, shrugging nonchalantly. He’s _absolutely_ just arguing to push her buttons at this point, and that’s what makes it all the more insufferable to watch. “Fists won’t do you much good in a gunfight, estúpida!”

“Why, you…” Demencia crouches, just about ready to- quite literally- rip into Flug. “Those sound like fighting words.”

“They are, but I understand why you didn’t get it right away; low intellect and all.” Flug is _definitely_ grinning underneath his bag, more adept in sarcastic comebacks than his coworker.

Before the argument can get any worse, Black Hat gives up on waiting for his employees to sort themselves out. He snarls like a dominant wolf, waiting until the both of them are looking at him to speak, the pair surprised as they remember that their boss is here. “As much as I love a good fight, I will _not_ be having our lunch ruined by your foolish squabbling. Congratulations, you two; you've ruined my good mood, where I had contemplated doing something nice for you all as a present for good behavior, but now that is out the metaphorical window. Should you continue to pointlessly fight, there will be _serious_ consequences.” Black Hat keeps his tone level, yet just on the cusp of growling.

The two young villains exchange a look, still clearly upset with each other, but… they’re both too intimidated by Black Hat to start in on an actual brawl. “Lo siento, señor.” Flug and Demencia apologize at the same time, ducking their heads in both respect and fear.

Black Hat gives a stiff nod, before returning to his cooking. Internally, he's tense, aware that there’s no way in _hell_ that his employees are going to give up _this_ easily; he’s taught them a bit too well on what it means to be evil. He just hopes that, whenever they inevitably throw down, it won’t be in the kitchen, where so many breakable items are stored; he'd rather they not fight at all, but lord knows they're too stubborn and malicious to apologize. Once certain that the fighting is over with, 505 comes out from under the table (as he had scurried under there for protection), coming to press his face against Flug’s abdomen. The scientist chuckles at the sight, affectionately smooshing 505’s cheeks before taking a seat at the table. Demencia mock-gags at the sight, moving to sit next to Flug, if only so she can get away with pinching and prodding him without her boss seeing.

But Black Hat’s accustomed to her various tricks, and without looking up, he clicks his tongue in an unspoken yet obvious _'no’._ Demencia audibly huffs, but relents, taking a seat across from her coworker instead. Unfortunately, this isn’t much better, as now the two of them can continue glaring viciously at one another, occasionally daring to flash each other with obscene gestures when they think Black Hat isn't looking. All the while, the older villain vehemently ignores them, intent on _not_ having a bad day. It’s probably just wishful thinking on his part, but ever since Black Hat adopted Flug, he’s wanted to keep the peace for as long as he can. Seems the tension finally broke though, and Black Hat has a strong suspicion as to why; Demencia is _jealous._ More specifically, she’s jealous of how close Black Hat and Flug are.

It only makes sense that she feels this way, as she's never tried to hide her feelings towards Black Hat… the demon can't imagine how angry she must be, seeing someone else enter her crush's favor. So she's been searching for a way to lash out, and who better to torment than Flug, the person who’s _‘stealing’_ Black Hat to begin with? So far, Flug’s been pretty good about avoiding a confrontation with his coworker, but it seems Demencia finally discovered a surefire way to get the scientist to flip out; invade his space while he’s working. Black Hat himself has never gotten into trouble for it- he’s the boy’s padre, after all- but he knows that Flug is prone to being possessive of his established workspace. After all, the inventor grew up in an incredibly toxic environment where there was little to no privacy, tucked alongside gas-lighting and emotional/verbal abuse. It’s no _wonder_ he’s protective of his personal space.

Shaking it off, Black Hat finally finishes with lunch; a simple spaghetti. Once done, the demon sets the full pot in the center of the kitchen table, allowing his employees to dig in. At first, there’s a beat of tension, with everyone just _waiting._ Flug and Demencia are especially tense, glaring at each other from across the table. “Well, Dem?” Flug inquires, raising an eyebrow at the lizard woman. “Aren’t you gonna have any? I thought you _loved_ food?” He says it in such a snarky tone… he's just _asking_ for a fight at this point.

Before anyone can even blink, Black Hat grabs Flug by the forearm, forces him to his feet, and delivers ten swift swats to his backside, ignoring his pained yelp of surprise. _“Hush,_ hijo!” Black Hat scolds, sitting Flug back down with a scowl for his trouble. “I told you to stop arguing; disobey me again and you won't like what happens.”

Flug blushes bright red, ducking his head. Demencia snickers at the sight, but not loud enough to get her into trouble as well. Thankfully, she doesn’t say anything, so Black Hat takes initiative and starts serving everyone lunch, starting with Flug (who he gives an especially large helping to). Once everyone’s been served lunch, they fall into a rather tense silence, the lot of villains unwilling to talk after having witnessed Flug's minor scolding. The silence doesn’t last for long though, as Demencia quickly falls into a rant to Black Hat about her latest confrontation with a superhero, to which Black Hat listens, nodding his head at the right points to convince her that he’s indeed listening. He really isn’t, as out of the corner of his eye, he’s watching Flug, who’s barely even poking at his spaghetti, squirming occasionally in his seat.

“Flug, you need to eat your lunch.” Black Hat says, though it’s not in a scolding manner; he’s mostly just concerned for the boy’s health.

“Sorry, jefe… I’m not very hungry.” Flug admits, not meeting his padre’s gaze, as he's too embarrassed.

“Aw, Black Hat, you’re not gonna get him to listen _that_ way!” Demencia declares, grinning viciously at Flug, her plate long since emptied. “What’s wrong, _Kenny?_ I thought you _loved_ your papi’s cooking!”

“Demen-” Black Hat tries to scold her, but he’s cut off by his hijo.

“Shut it, Demencia! And don’t call me that; you know I prefer Flug!” Flug doesn’t yell, but his voice is stern nonetheless, daring her to try anything. “I’ll eat it, I’m just… taking my time.”

“Here, I’ll help!” Demencia offers, but it’s in no way intended to be helpful. She grabs Flug’s plate before he can stop her, downing everything on it in a heartbeat. Once done, she burps, then sets the plate back down in front of Flug. “See, Kenny? It’s _easy!”  
_

“Demencia, you-” Black Hat again tries to intervene, but he’s cut off a second time.

“You _fucking…”_ Flug is _seething,_ shoulders shaking with rage. Slowly, he picks up his drink and, without warning, he throws it at Demencia, spilling apple juice all over her clothes; thank god it was in a plastic cup and not a glass one, not that he would've thrown the entire cup in that case. “Oops! _Sorry~,”_ He apologizes in the most _‘not sorry’_ tone Black Hat’s ever heard, the smirk under his paper bag obvious. “What’s wrong, Demencia? Did I ruin your stupid outfit?”

“Oh it’s _over,_ you little shit.” Demencia growls, eyes slit into one of the most terrifying, bloodthirsty glares Black Hat has ever seen.

In a flash, Demencia stands up from her chair, tackling Flug from over the table. Silverware and dishes fly into the air, a few plates crashing to the floor, breaking into several tiny pieces. 505 yelps in terror, jumping onto the nearest counter, subsequently causing everything on said counter to fall to the floor as well, even more dishes breaking as a result. In the meantime, Flug and Demencia are going at it on the floor, throwing punches and kicking at one another. Flug is in no way physically adept, at least when compared to his coworkers, but he’s angry enough that it doesn’t stop him from causing some damage, bruising her up wherever he can hit her. Demencia’s obviously better at this, getting several hard punches in, mainly targeting Flug’s torso and head, as she intends to just knock him out (and cause a few bruises to prove her point).

Black Hat… well, he gives up on being patient. **“I said** ** _ENOUGH!”_** He shouts, his hands growing ten times their original size, easily able to grab hold of the two young villains, though they refuse to stop swinging at each other, blinded by rage. **“You want to fight?** ** _Fine!_** **The study;** ** _NOW!”_** In a puff of smoke and crackling thunder, the three of them disappear from sight, leaving 505 on the counter, struggling to understand what just happened.

…

Oftentimes, Black Hat will forget that he’s not the best at teleportation, especially when he’s teleporting with multiple people. It’s for this reason that he and his employees appear in midair when they teleport into the study, collapsing in a heap on the floor. Black Hat recovers first, though the aching pain in his head isn’t doing him any favors. Slowly, the demon groans, squirming out from under his two employees. Once back on his feet, he turns around to face them, hands on his hips as he glares down at the twosome. Sitting up, both Demencia and Flug don’t quite meet their boss’s gaze, eyes downcast in shame and no small amount of fear, Demencia offhandedly playing with her hair while Flug anxiously pulls at his t-shirt. _At least they’re not fighting anymore._

“Are you done now?” Black Hat asks, just to make sure. After they both nod, he let’s out an exhausted sigh, nodding towards the couch. “Go on then; sit. We need to talk.” Flug, at the very least, looks like he wants to defend himself, but one look into his padre’s eyes has him bolting for the couch, sitting down with Demencia. Black Hat follows after them, having himself stand in front of them once they're seated. “Is there anything you have to say for yourselves?” The older villain asks, curious to hear what they’ll say.

“I’m very s-sorry for my d-deplorable behavior, papá,” Flug's voice is nearly a whisper as he forces himself to meet Black Hat’s gaze, even if it’s hard for him to do. Curiously enough, he doesn’t call the demon _‘papi’,_ despite the fact that the nickname usually gets him a more lenient sentence. _He must feel guilty, then._ “Please f-forgive me… it w-won’t happen again.”

“I would hope not,” Black Hat mutters, before turning to look at Demencia, who’s shivering somewhat. _Right, she’s still soaking wet._ Sighing, the older villain claps his hands, and a towel appears from thin air, wrapping gently around the woman’s shoulders. “Demencia, my dear? Is there anything _you_ would like to say?”

Demencia hesitates, glancing between Flug and Black Hat, before she finally gives up on being quiet. “Yes, señor,” She admits, her position timid and reserved, almost as if she’s scared of being attacked by her boss. “I’m very sorry for disrespecting you… and for attacking Flug.”

“To be fair, I _did_ throw juice at you,” Flug doesn’t allow Demencia to take all the blame, much to Black Hat’s shock; he had expected his employees to begin bickering and pointing fingers, but he supposes it’s a good thing that they’re both willing to apologize. “I’m really sorry, Dem… I panicked when you came into the lab while I was working, and I just… I shouldn’t have yelled at you, and I’m sorry that I did. You didn't deserve that.”

“It’s okay, lil’ guy; I’m sorry too,” Demencia offers the scientist a weak, half-hearted smile. “Water under the bridge?”

“Agreed.” Flug smiles too, though he does it with more energy. Seems he’s just glad no one got seriously injured.

“As pleased as I am by your ability to apologize to one another… you are both still _very much_ in trouble,” Black Hat points out, crossing his arms. “Have you _any_ idea how many dishes you broke? Are you aware that you have dampened what could have been a pleasant day? I don’t believe you are. Therefore, Demencia-” He hesitates, considering the punishment in his head, before deciding it will be enough. “-You’re to stay in the mansion for the next two weeks. No going out and hunting superheroes, no snack runs, no parties; you’re staying here.”

Demencia groans, clearly upset. “Awww… _seriously!?”_ She asks.

“Seriously,” Black Hat deadpans, before turning back to Flug, who’s more than a little shaky. After all, he knows _exactly_ what’s about to happen. “As for you, mi hijo… stay right where you are. Demencia, you’re free to go; if I find out you’ve left this house for even one minute, there’s going to be hell to pay.”

“Yes, señor…” Demencia glances at Flug, who vehemently refuses to meet her eyes. Nonetheless, as she’s standing up, she ruffles the top of her coworker’s bag on her way to the door. “Good luck, Kenny.” She offers, before swiftly exiting.

And now they’re alone… Flug audibly gulps, nervously looking up at his padre. “I would j-just like to say that I’m-”

“-Save it, hijo,” Black Hat orders, switching right back into that stern parental role that always means trouble for Flug. “Consider yourself lucky enough that I did not punish you in front of Demencia… you know very well that I don’t tolerate the sort of insolence you displayed earlier.”

Flug just ducks his head, barely nodding. Well, no point in drawing things out. Black Hat quickly seats himself in his favorite armchair, sitting on the edge of his seat so that the arms of the chair won’t get in his way. The older villain pats his lap, raising an eyebrow at Flug, who blushes bright red beneath his bag, aware that there’s not going to be able to talk his way out of this one. Nervously, Flug makes his way towards Black Hat, eyes downcast. It’s been a few days since the last time he was punished like this, so it’s not like he isn’t used to this, but still… Flug always gets so anxious before a spanking. It’s honestly not that bad, at least when compared to the usual injuries he sustains from his line of work, but it’s still incredibly embarrassing (and very painful).

Once Flug is stood by his side, Black Hat wastes no time in unbuttoning the younger villain’s pants, yanking them down to his knees, revealing the thankfully dry diaper he’s wearing. As the demon goes for the tabs of his protection, Flug panics, trying to block his padre’s hands. “W-Wait, papá!” He begs, his voice frantic. “A-Aren’t you going to s-start over my underwear!?”

“Not this time, hijo,” Black Hat explains, easily ripping off the diaper and tossing it aside, leaving Flug to modestly cover himself. “Kenning Adriano, you directly disobeyed my orders to stop arguing, escalated the situation several times, and threw juice at Demencia; be happy I didn’t grab a spoon or the brush.”

Flug looks away, unable to respond to that, especially since his padre used the _‘first and middle name’_ card. Thankfully, Black Hat doesn’t draw things out, swiftly pulling Flug across his lap. He wastes no time in beginning to spank the younger man’s backside, spanking a little harder than usual, at least when compared to less significant infractions; he’s still pretty furious, after all. Black Hat had been hoping that after fully adopting Flug that the boy would just continue following his orders without question, but if anything, the scientist has been a bit touchy lately. The demon suspects that it’s some late blooming teenage rebelliousness, but then again, Flug could have honest to God just been terrified by Demencia entering his workspace while he was handling dangerous equipment. Either way, the kid’s still in trouble.

The thought of this convinces Black Hat to focus on the backs of Flug’s thighs, causing the younger villain to yelp and kick a little, his backside already beginning to turn a bright red. Secretly, Black Hat’s still tempted to get the hairbrush, but he refrains from doing so; the brush is his _‘worst case scenario’_ implement, as he knows most other implements would be too much for his hijo. The spanking goes on for another few minutes, until Flug is full on sobbing, yet no longer fighting it. _There_ we go. Black Hat stops a bit after the fight has left his offspring, rubbing his lower back in an attempt to comfort him. Flug continues to cry, embarrassed and hurting, before he very shakily sits up. Black Hat moves to scold him for getting up without permission, but he’s cut off by Flug hugging him as tight as he can.

Sighing, Black Hat pulls Flug into his lap, not really caring that the boy is still naked from the waist down. They sit like that for a long while, Black Hat murmuring to the boy softly in Spanish, while Flug just stays in his padre’s arms, almost dozing off. Just as they’re ready to separate, a knock at the door causes Flug to flinch, nearly falling off of Black Hat’s lap in his panic. His padre gently hushes him, rubbing his back a few times before standing up. The older villain sits Flug in his armchair, ignoring his pained whimper in favor of answering the door. Black Hat half expects it to be Demencia attempting to eavesdrop on the punishment- which would only go to piss him off again, and earn her a beating alongside her being grounded- but no, it’s not her at all. 505 sits outside the door on all fours, a basket held by it's handle in his mouth.

“What’s this?” Black Hat asks, taking the basket from the bear. A piece of paper clothes-pinned to the blanket reads _‘You’re Invited!’_ in fancy, green cursive. “Seems it’s another gift basket… very well. Off with you now!” He makes a shooing motion at 505, not wanting the bear anywhere near him.

505 pouts, before very shyly holding up Flug’s stuffed rat to the demon. “Baw?” He offers, eyes full of hope.

Black Hat internally groans- if only because it’s 505 he’s dealing with- while nonetheless taking the stuffed animal from the beast. Without a word, Black Hat shuts the door in 505’s face, not allowing the bear to come inside. He tosses Flug the stuffie from over his shoulder before he begins rifling through the basket’s contents, finding a variety of delicacies, flowers, and a few valuables. The demon simply rolls his eyes, entirely unimpressed by the display, but he still sets it on his desk rather than tossing it into the fire; he’ll just give the candy to Flug tomorrow if he’s well behaved. In the meantime, Flug happily catches Plaga, cuddling the stuffie to his chest while curling in on himself, subtly shielding his privates with the toy.

“What’s that, papi?” Flug asks, sounding just on the cusp of sliding; it’s fairly normal for him to slip into a younger headspace after a spanking.

“A gift basket… alongside what appears to be an invitation.” Black Hat explains, ripping open the letter. He squints his eyes, carefully reading over the piece of paper.

_Invitation for: Lord Black Hat of the Black Hat Organization_

_“Good evening, Lord Black Hat! It is an honor and a privilege to finally find an excuse to invite you to one of the single most exclusive events of the year. Word on the street is that you’ve finally gotten yourself an heir, correct? Well, in any case, it would please everyone in the Villain’s Veil if you and your offspring were to attend our yearly ‘Parent and Heir’ ball! We here are aware that you do not often socialize with the rest of your fellow villains- which is perfectly acceptable- but would it not be exciting to show off your newly born heir? Please consider accepting our invitation, Lord Black Hat. We wait with bated breath for a response.”_

_~Sincerely, Lord Gerard Greybird, co-founder of the Villain’s Veil._

Black Hat is entirely uninterested for the most part… that is, until he sees the theme; _Parent and Heir._ The villain can’t help but grin with anticipation, giddy at the thought of attending such an event. He typically loathes such formal, unnecessary parties- too pompous and aggravatingly boring for his tastes- however, the chance to finally show off his newly adopted son… now _there’s_ a fun idea! Still grinning, Black Hat turns to look at Flug, who’s begun to try and redress himself, leaving the diaper on the floor since the tabs have been broken. The demon makes a clicking noise with his tongue, quick to lay Flug out on the floor, changing the boy himself with the changing supplies he keeps under his desk. While he has the scientist effectively trapped, Black Hat brings up the invitation.

“Would you like to know what I’ve been invited to, mi hijo?” Black Hat asks, giving the inventor a wicked smile. Flug responds with an excited nod, clearly deep in headspace at this point, offhandedly toying with Plaga. The older villain is secretly relieved by this; it’s going to make convincing Flug to come _much_ easier. “Well, papi has been invited to a fancy ball for very important people… and you’re invited, too. It’s theme is _‘Parent and Heir’,_ therefore you will be expected to come as well.”

Flug makes a concerned face, tilting his head in confusion. “Me?” He asks with a small, somewhat frightened tone in his voice; yeah, he’s _really_ little. “Why me, papi?”

Black Hat chuckles, finishing up the change with a pat on his boy’s backside, ignoring the pained wince Flug makes as a result; at least a diaper is better cushioning than just jeans. “Because, mi precioso hijo… I've legally adopted you, and that in turn makes you my heir. Someday, you may need to inherit a certain amount of responsibilities concerning my business, but first you must socialize with your future subordinates. Your papi somewhat regrets not having socialized as much as a younger villain, and it would make me _very_ relieved and happy if you were to do a better job than I did.”

Flug thinks about it for a few minutes, face scrunched in deep thought. Black Hat is fairly certain his hijo is too deep in his little headspace to fully understand, but the boy is nothing if not a people pleaser. “… Okay, papi.” Flug agrees, giving his padre a warm smile.

Black Hat _grins,_ scooping Flug up and hugging him to his chest. “That’s mi hijo!” He yells, swinging Flug around the room a bit, to which his offspring laughs with delight. However, once the demon senses how dizzy Flug is, he sets the scientist on the floor, snapping his fingers to have a few of the boy’s plastic airplanes appear at his feet. “How about you play in here while papi makes arrangements for the party, hm? Be a good boy.” He ruffles the top of Flug’s bag indulgently, waiting until the younger villain has begun playing with his planes to return to his desk, beyond excited to soon show off his heir.

…

Although it’s quite tempting, Flug refrains from running to find Black Hat. It’s not like there’s a crisis or anything going on; he just wants to show his padre his latest invention! It’s pocket sized, so he secretly hopes that Black Hat will want to take it with him to the party. It’s nothing major; just a simple laser-like gun, but it doesn’t actually harm anyone. The device’s purpose is to make any liquid it shoots at into an alcoholic beverage, and Flug’s rather proud of it. If nothing else, it will be one _hell_ of a party starter! Walking down the second floor hallway, Flug looks everywhere for his padre, unsure where the older villain is. He wasn’t in his study or bedroom, so now the boy’s just searching the whole house.

While still searching the second floor, Flug spots 505 exiting a bathroom, and he runs to greet the experiment. “Oh, 505! There you are!” Flug calls, grinning as he looks up at his makeshift son. “Have you see Black Hat anywhere, hijo? I can’t find him anywhere.”

505 taps his chin, thinking about it, before he perks up, a happy look on his face. “Baw baw!” He exclaims, getting down on all fours. He butts his head against Flug’s hip, urging the scientist to get on his back.

Flug chuckles at the sight, obliging. “Alright, alright… let’s go, buddy,” Flug says, climbing aboard the cerulean furred bear, careful to hold on tight as the animal begins barreling towards the stairs, nearly knocking his creator off in the process. “Whoa there, 505! _Easy!”_ He begs, but his cries fall on deaf ears.

Demencia, who’s heading up the stairs as 505 comes charging down, holds out her hand for a high five, grinning when Flug accidentally gives her one while trying to grab a better hold of his experiment. “Yeehaw!” The woman shouts, making a fake-lassoing motion at the pair. “Ride ‘em, cowboy!”

“505, _please!”_ Flug begs, suddenly losing his grip. Thankfully, this happens just outside of the door that 505 seems intent on showing him, the scientist still unfortunately getting launched the minute 505 stops. Flug goes flying off the animal, crashing onto the floor, which knocks the air out of his lungs. Once he’s back on his own two feet, Flug gives 505 a stern look, crossing his arms in disappointment. “505, that was _very_ dangerous! I could’ve gotten _really_ _hurt!”_ He scolds. However, upon seeing the distraught look on his son’s face, he relents, giving him an indulgent kiss on the forehead. “Oh, hijo… I can’t stay mad at you. Just be more careful next time, okay?”

505 nods, before pawing at a large set of double doors. Flug raises a curious eyebrow, surprised that 505 has taken him here of all places. “The ballroom?” He asks, curious. “You think papá is in here?” Earning a nod, the scientist shrugs. “Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to check… gracias, hijo.”

After 505 has run off, Flug turns to the double doors, finally catching wind of what sounds like… _music?_ Well, one would _expect_ music from a ballroom, but this room is usually only used when Demencia wants to throw a party with the Hat-bots and any villains willing to attend, so it’s rarely used (especially with Demencia still grounded). Besides, this music is nothing like what the lizard woman plays at her raves. Very softly, Flug cracks one of the doors open, poking his head inside. What he sees shocks him. Inside the ballroom, there’s barely any furniture; just a bunch of stacked up chairs and tables along the walls. In the middle of the room is Black Hat, who’s holding a mannequin in his arms, and he appears to be… _dancing.  
_

The older villain’s jacket is off, set aside to be draped over the back of a chair, leaving him in his vest and red button up. Black Hat appears to have only ever seen dancing on TV or from Demencia, so he has next to no experience, and therefore struggles to actually _dance._ He keeps stomping his feet, and routinely loses his grip on the mannequin, tossing it aside every few minutes. Despite trying his best not to laugh, Flug can’t help but devolve into helpless giggling, especially when Black Hat trips on one of the mannequin’s feet, falling to the floor as a result. The scientist can’t keep from collapsing as well, falling into the ballroom and onto the floor, devolving into a puddle of laughter. In the meantime, Black Hat is sulking, soon catching sight of the young intruder. The demon at first scowls, but it turns into an amused smirk when he realizes that it's his own son giggling.

“Laughing at your dear old papá, mi hijo?” Black Hat asks, though he already knows the answer. He adjusts his top hat, before coming to stand over Flug. He holds out a hand, and carefully helps the boy to his feet. “Did no one teach you it’s inappropriate to intrude when a man believes himself to be alone?” He doesn’t say it aggressively, still chuckling a little at his own blunder.

“Lo siento, papi,” Flug apologizes, unable to stop laughing quite yet. After a few minutes, he wipes at his face underneath the mask, rubbing away the few tears that fell from him laughing so hard. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me, hijo… I’m just embarrassed, that’s all,” Black Hat admits, not quite meeting his son’s eyes, as they begin to linger on the mannequin on the floor. “I suppose I shouldn’t be calling myself a gentleman when I can’t even dance.”

“It’s not that hard to learn, papá,” Flug assures, taking hold of Black Hat’s hands. He carefully leads him to the dance-floor, forcing the demon to lean on him somewhat. “Here, just… follow my lead.” The scientist offers, beginning to sway a little in time with the music.

Black Hat blushes a dark green, horrifically embarrassed by the position. He feels as though it should be _him_ teaching his hijo to dance, not the other way around! Then again, didn’t Flug mention that his family had been rather wealthy when he was still living with them? It would make sense for him to be more experienced in these things. Delicately, Flug dances with Black Hat, careful to make sure his padre doesn’t step on his feet. With his offspring so close, the older villain refrains from stomping as much, in turn beginning to pick up on what Flug’s doing. Soon enough Black Hat is taking the lead, and his hijo gladly let’s him; it’s admittedly a bit off putting to be the one in charge when he’s so used to Black Hat having complete control.

“Stand on my feet,” Black Hat orders out of nowhere, snapping Flug out of his thoughts. Upon earning a confused look, the demon blushes again, not meeting his son’s eyes. “I’ve, um… I’ve seen parents dance like… like _this,”_ He picks Flug up somewhat, setting the boy back down on his feet. Once his hijo is settled, Black Hat begins dancing again, smirking down at Flug. _“See?_ It’s fun.”

Flug, internally, is freaking the fuck out. Both because this is so intimate of a moment for them, but also… because his _mother_ did this once. Flug remembers it vaguely, as he had only been around five or six at the time. He’s pretty sure it was at a wedding, or some really fancy party, but… he had been made to come with his mother for it. He remembers feeling uncomfortable, as even before he realized he was trans, he always hated wearing frilly dresses. Nonetheless, Flug grinned and bared it for the sake of his mother, who at the time had been a bit less horrible. She had even seemed _proud_ a few times, giving her child a smirk anytime Flug’s high IQ and achievements came up in conversation with the other guests.

At some point, someone had put on a slow song, and seeing as Flug’s father had been preoccupied… his mother took him onto the dance-floor. He had been skittish, as he was at that point aware of his mother’s penchant for anger, but she had been so _nice_ that day… delicately, she had set Flug, who had been so small at the time, on top of her feet, surprisingly enough not upset that her child’s feet were crushing her own. With a carefulness that Flug had rarely witnessed, his mother had begun to gently dance with him, bobbing him around the room. Onlookers had cooed and smiled at the sight, all while Flug stared up at the woman who so fleetingly showed him affection, soaking in that one, single moment.

_“Easy, my darling,” Her unusually soft voice is still crystal clear in Flug’s mind, no matter how briefly he had heard it. “I won’t let you fall… just dance with mommy.”_

Before he can stop himself, Flug is crying, tears trailing down his face beneath the mask. To his relief, Black Hat notices right away, and stops the dance immediately. The older villain is careful when he leads Flug to the chair holding his jacket, sitting the boy down so he can breathe. Producing a water bottle from thin air, Black Hat opens it, handing it to Flug, who downs the water within a few gulps. The scientist pants like a dog with heatstroke for a few seconds, recovering from the triggered memory. After a long while of Flug just sitting there and crinkling the bottle in his hands, he gives it back to Black Hat, still averting his eyes. The demon takes it without a word, tossing it over his shoulder.

Flug flinches when the bottle hits the floor, finally offering his padre a sheepish, sorry expression. “… I’m sorry, papi,” He murmurs, eyes downcast and solemn. “I just… I guess dancing like that reminded me of my mom. I’m really sorry for ruining the moment.”

Black Hat softens, bending over to give Flug a brief hug. “You needn’t apologize, mi hijo… I know that you are still scarred by what she did to you.”

Flug looks away, feeling guilty. “It wasn’t… it wasn’t a _terrible_ memory,” He admits, upset at the thought of still loving his mother, despite what a monster she had become. “She once… she once danced with me like that. Before she got as bad. I guess I still… I still miss her sometimes, even though I shouldn’t.”

“We all mourn in different ways,” Black Hat says, patting Flug on the head. He sighs, unsure of what he can do to help. “I’ll try and remember not to do that again, hijo… I deeply apologize for triggering you.”

“It’s okay, papi, really,” Flug assures, waving off Black Hat’s self-loathing. Like father like son, it seems. “It’s not your fault; to be honest, I completely forgot about it.”

There’s a pause, in which the two men exchange glances, unsure of what to do. However, the silence is broken a minute later, as Demencia comes _bursting_ into the room, the double doors cracking against the wall from the sheer force with which she opens them with. “I heard we were having a _party!”_ Demencia shouts, jittery with her excitement. “Oh _please,_ Blackie! _Please_ dance with me!” She begs, running up and grabbing the older villain’s hands, pulling him towards the dance floor while hopping up and down.

Black Hat pulls a face, glancing at Flug. “Go on, papá,” Flug suggests, giving the duo in front of him an honest smile. “It wouldn’t be fair if we’re the only ones who get to dance.”

Demencia _beams,_ winking at Flug before pulling Black Hat even more forcefully towards the dance-floor. “You heard your kid, Blackie! Come on, let’s party!”

Black Hat groans, but ultimately relents, allowing Demencia to drag him out onto the dance-floor. As expected, Demencia isn’t a slow dancer _at all,_ preferring to swing her body this way and that, all while keeping hold of her partner. Black Hat, at first, barely moves, but once the next song that comes on is revealed to go _much_ faster- seems Demencia hacked the stereo with her own playlist via Bluetooth- the demon unintentionally begins rocking out as well, admittedly more excited to dance to rave music than the classical stuff he’d been playing earlier. Flug stays in his chair, watching as his padre and coworker dance together, as if nothing else outside of this moment exists. The boy sighs with contentment, a lazy smile on his face despite his earlier crying.

Sometimes, Flug really does miss his mother… but at times like these, it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to.

…

“I’m having second thoughts.” Flug announces, not meeting his padre’s eyes. Anxiously, he messes with the cuffs of his tuxedo, feeling weird in such formal attire; it’s his first time wearing an actual suit.

“I figured you would,” Black Hat says, much more relaxed than his son. To be fair, he knocked back a few shots before they left, so the demon’s nerves are more or less gone, replaced by a semi pleasant warmth in his chest and face. “But that’s alright, mi hijo… we’ll be fine. If anything happens, we’ll just leave.”

“They’re all going to be… to be _looking_ at me!” Flug insists, feeling rather overwhelmed as the limousine gets closer to his supposed _‘doom’._ He feels like a prisoner on death row, being dragged by his chains to the block; it’s unbearable. “And I d-don’t want to r-risk embarrassing you, papá.”

Black Hat laughs outright, buzzed enough that most things are pretty amusing, not the least of which being his hijo’s lack of faith in himself. _“Ha!_ Never have I heard such a ridiculous notion… mi hijo, you are _far_ from embarrassing! If anything, _I’ll_ be the fool tonight!”

Flug looks away, blushing underneath his bag. _“Yeah, I know,”_ He thinks, but doesn’t dare say it aloud. “… If you’re so sure, padre.” He murmurs, trying to use as formal of a term as he can. If he were to fall into a younger headspace here, he’s fairly certain that he’d combust from embarrassment, so he's trying to avoid it at all costs.

“We have arrived, Lord Black Hat.” The Hat-bot behind the wheel calls out, parking outside Lord Gerard's mansion.

It’s only because Flug knows the windows are impossible to see through from the other side that he doesn’t refrain from pressing his face and hands eagerly against the glass, taking in the view. He’s so entranced by the sheer size of the mansion- which is at least twice as big as Black Hat’s- that Flug doesn’t even hear Black Hat chuckling at his antics, the scientist blissfully unaware of how childish he looks, so excited to take everything in. Just outside the door is a long, beautiful red carpet, and although the doors to the limo haven’t been opened yet, a swarm of reporters and photographers stand at the ready outside, a few taking pictures of the vehicle in the meantime. This has Flug nervous again, the boy flashing his padre an anxious glance.

“W-Why are there… w-why are there reporters, padre?” Flug asks, genuinely curious. Internally, the young man prays to God that his padre hasn’t unknowingly led them into a trap.

“I’m retired, mi hijo,” Black Hat is completely unaffected by the crowd outside, fumbling with Flug's tie to make sure it's done up in the right way. After correcting it, the older villain leans back, admiring his work. “Call it whatever you will, hijo, but although we’re quite clearly in the business of evil… well, we’re bound to attract admirers. _And_ media attention,” The demon pauses, giving Flug a very serious look despite the fact that he’s still very much buzzed. “Do you remember how I said that the law office was dangerous, and yet we did not run into trouble?” A hesitant nod, and he continues. “We got off easy that time, hijo. This, my dear boy, is a safari, and unfortunately for us, we’re the animals, while everyone else is a hunter. Be wary, and stay close to me; anything is fair in a room full of villains.”

Taking initiative, Black Hat is the one who opens the car door, exiting first. Immediately, every reporter is attempting to swarm the villain, cameras flashing brighter than Flug’s ever seen, and he suspects he’d be momentarily blinded were it not for his goggles. Black Hat wastes no time with idle chitchat, quite easily catching Flug by the arm and hoisting him out of the limousine, guiding the young man down the red carpet. And boy, if Flug thought the media went ballistic over his _padre…_ within seconds, Flug is _bombarded_ by reporters, several microphones from different news broadcasts shoved in front of his mask, while pictures are still being taken non-stop. Flug ducks his head, subtly pressing himself against Black Hat, who calmly wraps an arm around his son’s torso to keep him close.

“Lord Black Hat, señor, please!” One reporter shouts louder than the others, the man large and tough looking enough that he sticks out from the crowd like a sore thumb. “Who is that, Lord Black Hat? Is that your significant other?”

“He’s mi hijo.” Black Hat states, though his stride doesn’t slow, the reporters having to jog just to keep up with him.

Now _that_ gets the crowd roaring. “Lord Black Hat, what is the name of your son? _How_ is he your son? Are they _really_ a boy; he looks too _short_ to be a boy. Who’s the _mother?”_ A woman yells, squirming her arm through the crowd to shove her tape recorder in the demon’s face.

“Kenning, none of your business, yes, and none of your business again.” Black Hat actually shoves the device out of his face this time, growling low in his throat.

This, unfortunately, does nothing to deter the crowd. A weaselly young man who can’t be much older than Demencia manages to physically squeeze himself through the crowd, and in a heartbeat he’s pacing by Flug’s unoccupied side, offering him the business end of the microphone in his hand. “Excuse me, Kenning was it? Is Lord Black Hat _truly_ your father? What became of your mother, and why is it only _now_ that your father has taken custody of you?” Earnestly, the man starts to reach for Flug’s paper bag. “And what’s under this mask?”

 **“Do** **_not_ ** **touch him,”** Black Hat snarls in the most terrifying voice Flug has ever heard come out of his mouth; it’s intimidating not because he sounds angry, but because he _doesn’t,_ and _that_ has Flug shivering with fright, aware that a calm demon is typically also a dangerous one. **“Put** **_one_ ** **hand on him, and it will be** **_ripped off.”_ **

At this point, they’ve finally reached the front doors, so Black Hat more or less sandwiches Flug between the doors and his body, keeping the media at bay until the doors can be opened on the other side. Thankfully, it’s not long before a butler arrives, opening one of the doors and ushering Flug and Black Hat inside, slamming it shut afterwards to keep the reporters from getting inside. Now safe, Flug let’s out a long, exhausted sigh. _Goddamn,_ he forgot how overwhelming and terrible the media could be… it’s been a long time since he was dragged to an event like this by his parents, and they oftentimes got bombarded just the same, but in those instances, Flug and his brother were forced to grin and answer any and all questions, no matter _how_ inappropriate they were, or how overwhelmed the kids might be.

“So sorry, my lord,” The butler apologizes, bowing to the villains. “Unfortunately, Master Gerard has been harassed as of late by the media due to his latest legal battle with Hero's Hand… not to mention, it’s such a rare and amazing honor to have a man of your power attending, so I suspect they just couldn’t help themselves…”

“You and your master are lucky mi hijo was not hurt, or believe me, you would not be capable of speaking right now.” Black Hat growls, all while holding onto Flug’s arm like the boy’s life depends on it.

“Of course,” The butler is surprisingly enough not offended by Black Hat’s blatant threats, but to be entirely fair, he likely deals with villains more often than he’d like. “Do you need a moment, my lord, or are you ready to come into the ballroom? My master awaits your arrival with bated breath.”

Black Hat scowls, but nods nonetheless, giving Flug a quick once-over. “Are you ready, mi hijo?” He asks, unsure if Flug is alright.

Flug looks away, swallowing around a lump in his throat. More than anything, he just wants to go home already, but he doesn’t want to disappoint his padre… very shyly, he nods. “I-I’m ready, padre.” He promises, eyes glued to the floor.

“Very good,” The butler smiles at the father and son duo, before gesturing down the hall. “If you would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll see you to the party.”

All the way there- after having his and Black Hat’s coats snatched up by maids- Flug clings to his boss like a leech, feeling increasingly sick to his stomach. This is all so familiar, yet not at all, and that alone has him damn near vomiting, but he refuses to. Although the outside was certainly impressive, the inside isn’t quite as glamorous as Flug expected. To be fair, he’s used to hallways being lined with stolen, priceless paintings displaying his padre, so no one can really expect him to be impressed by all of this. Still, the boy holds his tongue, capable of appreciating the aesthetic regardless of the lack of prestige. One painting in particular catches Flug’s eye, and he nearly stops in his tracks when he sees it; it’s of Black Hat, who’s shaking hands with an unnamed individual. Is that the host? Flug assumes so, although he doesn’t recognize him as a client to the organization. Perhaps he's an old friend?

“Here we are, señors,” The butler says, stopping the duo outside a large set of double doors, bigger even than the ones for the ballroom back home. “Please, allow me to introduce you both, as it is customary,” The butler enters first, and after a few seconds, Black Hat follows, pulling Flug in behind him. Flug blinks, eyes widening as he realizes that the ballroom is actually down a long flight of stairs, the top of which he’s currently standing on; _talk about a God complex._ “Our most honorable of guests, may I please have your attention?” Once all eyes are on the butler, he continues to speak through a microphone. “Esteemed guests, may I present to you; Lord Black Hat, leader of the Black Hat Organization, who has brought along his son as his heir.”

“Are you not going to properly introduce my son as well?” Black Hat doesn’t try to hide the offended tone from his voice, not at all impressed with the introduction.

“Padre, please, it’s okay.” Flug whispers, although he’s fairly certain that the whole ballroom can still hear him. Please, dear God, _don’t_ let Black Hat do what Flug thinks he's about to do…

“Hush, hijo,” Black Hat orders, snatching the microphone from the butler, who wisely doesn’t stop the demon; after all, his temper is infamous in the community. “Hello, inferior evil beings,” He greets, the usual snide and egotistical attitude the villain puts on for when Cam-bot's recording coming out in full swing. “This blubbering fool failed in his introduction of my heir and I, so I shall do him a favor and do it _myself._ Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you; Lord Black Hat and Kenning Hatson of the Black Hat Organization. Watch closely, my future and current clients, for you are witnessing the greatest and soon to be second greatest villains that have ever roamed the earth!”

Yep. He _totally_ just did that. Flug refuses to look up for the entire time Black Hat is speaking, face redder than ever before. Can someone die of embarrassment? He’s pretty sure he’s about to find out. "Oh Dios _mío,_ padre.” Flug mutters, his one free hand trying to cover the front of his paper bag, as if that will actually hide him.

Finally satisfied, Black Hat hands the butler back his microphone. “Now _that_ is how you do an introduction, good sir!” He’s all smiles once he’s done, practically leaping down the stairs.

Flug just continues not looking at his padre; if this gets any worse, he’s going to eat his bag out of spite.

…

Things go smoothly for the first two hours. Flug, before coming, had been worried that he’d be the oldest _‘heir’_ there, considering the theme, but to his surprise, a majority of the heirs are actually much _older_ than him… and unfortunately, much _ruder,_ too. Flug tries and fails to converse with a few of his peers, but they all bombard him with annoying, or inappropriate, questions- “ _So who’s your mom?” “What’s with the bag, nerd?” “Are you really Black Hat’s kid?”-_ to the point that Flug gives up, choosing to just stand by the snack bar. At the very least, the younger kids seem to like him, amazed by him wearing a mask and just excited to be here. It also helps that Flug gets on their good sides by handing them food and drinks, as the snack bar is on a rather tall table.

Just after handing a little girl a juice-box, Flug feels a tap on his shoulder. He jumps in surprise, swinging around to see who it is- _please, dear God, don’t let it be an entitled mom who doesn’t want him talking to her kids-_ only to find a short, well-dressed woman, looking to be in her late to mid thirties. “Good evening, you sweet little thing,” The woman greets, carrying a glass of wine in each hand. “And who might _you_ be?”

“I’m, uh, L-Lord Black Hat’s s-son, miss,” Flug explains, admittedly a bit excited to talk to an adult rather than another kid; he wants to do everything in his power to avoid age-sliding, and he’s beginning to worry that he’s edging near his little headspace with all these kids hanging out with him. “And w-who are you, m-miss?”

“Me? I’m just a lackey,” The woman says, shrugging. “Boss wanted to come, so she just told the host I’m her kid. You know how it goes.”

“I, uh, really _don’t.”_ Flug admits, sheepish. He’s never been good at socializing with people he doesn’t know, and he’s blatantly reminded of it while talking to this stranger.

“Hahah! Aren’t _you_ funny!” The woman suddenly pauses, a smirk on her face. “Care for a drink, love? The bartender accidentally gave me two, and I shouldn’t be drinking too much; I'm my boss's driver, after all.”

“Oh, um…” Flug glances around, trying to see if Black Hat’s watching, but the demon is farther away than his son would like, surrounded by socialites that want to talk to him. “I-I’m sorry, miss, but I’m a-actually not of legal d-drinking age.”

“Perhaps not in _America,_ but this is _Mexico,_ my dear. Don’t tell me you’re under eighteen, dear… there's no way. Live a little, kid,” The woman suggests, getting a bit closer as she holds out one of the glasses to Flug. “Come now, dear… it’s just _one_ drink. Maybe it’ll kill that stutter of yours, hm? I’m sure you don’t want to embarrass your father with it.”

“I really… I really…” Flug gulps, feeling uncomfortable. Black Hat _specifically_ ordered him _not_ to drink, but then again, he _is_ of legal drinking age. And besides, if his padre can get buzzed for this, Flug sure as hell wants to as well. “I s-suppose it would… b-be okay… I'll just have the one.” He agrees, shakily taking the drink.

“Thata boy,” The woman encourages, clinking her own glass against Flug's. “To a prosperous future.” She toasts, smiling all the while.

“Y-Yeah… to v-villainy!” Flug agrees, accepting the toast. He turns away from her to swallow down his drink, still feeling embarrassed by the conversation.

By the time Flug has downed it- he’s seen his brother sneak enough drinks by now to know how to kill a drink _fast-_ the woman is long gone, much to Flug's confusion. Shrugging, he sets the empty glass on the snack bar, already feeling pretty warm. He’s drank maybe once or twice before, but he’s never gotten anything more than a light buzz going. With how strange he already feels, Flug has to wonder how strong the drink was, as he feels a bit off within a few minutes. Was the ballroom _always_ this bright? He can’t bring himself to care. Offhandedly, Flug undoes his tie, as it feels far too tight for his liking. Just as he does this, he sees Black Hat approaching him, and he smiles under his mask, head tilted as he watches the older villain come towards him.

“Flug? Are you alright, hijo?” Black Hat seems… _concerned?_ But why? Flug feels _amazing!_ “You’re… you're _swaying.”_

“I’m _fiiiine,”_ Flug insists, grinning all the while. Seeing the dance-floor, he begins pulling on his padre’s arm. “Come on, papi, let’s dance!” He suggests, beginning to sway to the music.

“Kenning, no,” Black Hat is stern, taking note of the drastic change in Flug’s behavior. Ignoring the boy’s struggling, he puts his hand under Flug’s bag, pressing it to his forehead. “You feel warmer than usual… Kenning Adriano, I _swear,_ if you’ve been drinking-”

“-I _haven’t!”_ Flug promises. After a beat of silence, he starts laughing outright, leaning on Black Hat for support. _“Oooookay,_ so… I _may’ve_ had just _one_ little glass, but only because the lady who gave it to me was _suuuuper_ nice!”

Black Hat’s entire demeanor changes, his eye giving a weak twitch. “You… you _what?”_ The demon suddenly begins looking around the ballroom, as if the woman will appear before him. “Flug, _who_ gave you that drink?”

“Hm? Oh, I dunno… she was _really_ nice.” Flug says, slowly but surely starting to slide to the floor. “Hey can I, uh, sit down? For just a minute?”

“Come on, you need to sit down,” Black Hat talks over the young man, more or less dragging Flug to the nearest empty chair. He sits him down on it, kneeling down to look Flug in the eyes. “Kenning, I need you to listen to me very, _very_ carefully… _who_ gave you that drink?”

“Um…” Flug tilts his head, thinking about it. “I dunno,” He admits, nearly falling out of his chair when he leans too much to his right, but Black Hat’s hands on his arms keep him from doing so. “Hey, where’s the bathroom?”

Black Hat ignores him, furiously searching the room. Locking eyes with a passing butler, the older villain waves him over. “You! Come here, it’s an emergency!”

Flug continues swaying in his seat, completely off balance; the drunk-like feeling is suddenly beginning to fade, replaced by paranoia and morning sickness. “Papi, I _really_ need a bathroom.” He repeats in earnest, clinging to his padre.

“Is something the matter, sir?” The butler asks, kneeling down beside Black Hat.

“Yeah, I-” Flug is cut off right away, not given the chance to speak.

“-Hush, mi hijo. Let the adults handle this,” Black Hat orders, keeping his eyes on the butler. “I need you to get your master right away; I believe mi hijo has been slipped some sort of drug,” He turns to look at Flug, his frown concerned. “You said it was just one drink, correct? One drink shouldn’t make _anyone_ intoxicated, not even a tiny thing such as yourself.”

“Papi, I really, _really-”_ Flug, out of nowhere, turns to his left- where thankfully no one is standing- and after pulling up his paper bag… he vomits.

If that weren’t bad enough, to everyone in the vicinity’s collective horror, there’s quite a bit of blood mixed in, the sight of which causes Flug to barf a second time, even more blood coming out as a result. “Oh Dios _mío,”_ Black Hat whispers, his eyes wide with terror. “Did you not hear me? Go get your master!” He yells at the butler a second time, voice bordering on frantic.

In the meantime, Flug is beginning to sob while dry heaving, nothing else coming out, but it still burns his throat with stomach acid. He keeps his eyes squeezed shut, shame overtaking him in a heartbeat. God, Black Hat must be so _embarrassed…_ why oh why had Flug accepted that _stupid_ drink? Rule one of any party; don’t drink anything a guest gives you! The scientist is beyond ashamed, feeling responsible for the mess he’s caused. If Black Hat decides to disown him over this, Flug can’t say he’d blame him, but the thought of it… it has him _shaking,_ and not just because that's the next symptom to hit him. He had been _so close_ to having a happy ending, and now look what he’s done; his padre is going to hate him, if he doesn’t already. Flug can’t help it as he starts to cry even harder, overwhelmed and terrified beyond belief.

“Kenning? Kenning, please look at me,” Black Hat’s voice breaks Flug out of his internal scolding, the older villain’s gaze concerned and heartfelt. Isn’t he mad? Why isn’t he _mad?_ “Hijo, it’s going to be alright; stay with me.”

“I-I-I-” Flug can’t get the words out, body shivering even harder despite it being hot in the ballroom, his arms and legs tingling with a numbness the boy isn’t used to. “Wh-What’s h-happening, papi?”

“You’ve been poisoned,” Black Hat explains, recognizing the symptoms. Whatever his son was slipped is incredibly strong, or more accurately, the perpetrator probably overestimated Flug’s weight and gave him a larger dose than intended, causing the symptoms to be more extreme and to come much faster. “But it’s going to be okay, Kenny… I’ve got you.”

“I-I know,” Flug assures, wanting to make his padre feel better. Internally, he’s still terrified, convinced that Black Hat will abandon him over this. “P-Please… please d-don’t leave.”

“I won’t,” Black Hat promises, hugging Flug to his chest, not caring about the vomit on his son's clothes or the massive crowd of people that have come to witness this strange turn of events. “Not now, not ever.”

“Lord Black Hat, we believe we’ve found the one who poisoned your son; she’s not on the guest list, and a few heirs witnessed her chatting with him before he collapsed,” The butler from before announces, him and one of the more able-bodied villains helping to drag the woman in question over. “Is this her, señor?”

“Depends,” Black Hat moves aside a little, allowing Flug a good look at the captured woman. “Well, mi hijo? Is this her?”

Flug squints, overwhelmingly dizzy and sick, but he nods nonetheless, recognizing the colors and hairstyle despite how much the image blurs. “Sí,” He agrees, swallowing to keep from dry heaving again. “Th-That’s h-her, papi.”

Black Hat all too calmly nods. “Very well then,” Rather suddenly, the demon picks Flug up, turning away from the chair. “One moment, everyone,” He tells the gathered crowd, brushing right past them. He reaches a closet, and ever so delicately, sets Flug inside. “So sorry, mi hijo,” He lowers his voice to a whisper, so that no one will hear him but his son. “Papi will be right back… you are _far_ too close to sliding to witness what I am about to do.” With that, he shuts the door, locking Flug in the closet.

“Papi!” Flug yells, sitting up on his knees and banging on the door. His head hurts a little less now that he’s shrouded in darkness, but it does nothing to erase the rest of the pain in his body, especially when he truly _does_ begin sliding into his younger headspace. “Papi, no, please… d-don’t go. I don't wanna be alone again!” Slowly, he curls in on himself, beginning to cry.

Although Flug can’t see outside, he can hear everything perfectly. Well, he can’t really make out what the woman says to defend herself for drugging Flug- something about it being _‘payback’_ for something Black Hat did to her previous employer- but he most certainly hears her horrified, garbled screams of agony afterwards. There’s no doubt in Flug’s mind that his padre has transformed himself into an abomination out there, as he can just make out the shadows of writhing tentacles from under the doorway, and it’s honestly quite petrifying. The scientist knows his padre regularly morphs his body- whether it be for mundane tasks or for scaring people, the demon _adores_ mutating- but still… it occasionally _scares_ Flug. He wonders, sometimes, if Black Hat might change forms one day, only to realize that he's somehow incapable of returning to his original form again… what _then?  
_

So lost in his own thoughts, Flug doesn’t hear the door unlock, but he snaps out of it as light shines on him again. Black Hat stands in the doorway, the light on his back obscuring his appearance, but it does nothing to hide the fact that the villain is _soaked_ in blood, strings of intestines and bite-sized chunks of meat sticking to Black Hat’s tuxedo, making him out to be quite the sight; the perpetrator, or what’s left of her, is nothing more than gory slop on the floor now. No words are exchanged, as Flug can’t make his mouth open no matter how hard he tries, and Black Hat doesn’t seem much better off. Silently, the older villain scoops Flug up, who does nothing to resist him. Without even a goodbye to the host or the other villains, Black Hat exits the ballroom, Flug still in his arms.

The walk to the limousine is unbelievably tense, and every step makes Flug more and more anxious. Is this it? Is Black Hat going to get rid of him now? That thought alone has Flug grabbing a fistful of his padre’s shirt, not caring that it covers his palm with blood. He doesn’t want to lose whatever… whatever _this_ is. He _can’t._ Reaching his limousine, Black Hat allows a Hat-bot to open the door for him, and quietly, he ducks inside, Flug still held close to his chest. It’s only when they’re inside, with a large Hat-bot starting up the car, that the tension breaks, but in the most unexpected of ways. To Flug’s utter, complete shock… Black Hat begins to _cry._ More accurately, he _wails,_ his body shaking like a leaf as he clutches Flug for dear life, as if weakening his grip the smallest bit will cause his hijo to disappear.

“Papi… papi, please… _please_ don’t cry,” Flug urges, tossing off his bag. He nuzzles his face against his boss’s shirt, wishing to comfort him in some way, even if he still feels like he could pass out at a moment's notice. “It’s okay, papi… I’m here.”

"Pensé que te estabas muriendo,” Black Hat sobs, claws digging into Flug’s shirt; not deep enough to cut him open or anything, but enough to make it damn near impossible for Flug to get away until his padre let’s go. "Pensé que te estabas muriendo, hijo.”

“I know, papi… but it’s okay. _I’m_ okay,” Flug says, although he knows it to be a lie; his body is still in a lot of pain, but he doesn’t think it’s going to be fetal. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“She planned to _kidnap you,_ mi hijo,” Black Hat warns, voice far too calm to be anything but enraged. “Dios mío, she was going to _take you._ For _revenge._ Hijo, I can’t… I _can’t_ let that happen again. _Not_ _ever again.”  
_

Flug subtly gulps, anxious at the news. Was she _really_ planning on kidnapping him? So why the poison? Perhaps she planned to torture him, and that was just the first step? Flug shivers at the thought; he really dodged a bullet this time. “But you _saved me,_ papi… if it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead. Thank you.”

Black Hat doesn’t respond to that; just keeps holding Flug, rocking him back and forth as he continues to cry. The scientist doesn’t argue, choosing to simply lean against his padre, beginning to doze off now that they're away from the other villains. Come morning, Flug hopes that this sickness will go away, but for now, he’s just glad his padre still loves him; he doesn’t want to know what would have happened to him if he didn't.

**Author's Note:**

> Y’all probably expected this to be fluffier, huh? Sorry for that; drama is fun to write. Still, this opens the door to an “Obligatory Sickfic (™)”, so at least there’s that. However!!! You can still vote (I could always wait and do a background fic if that's what people want to read first). So here’s the remaining fics (that I have even vaguely figured out):
> 
> ((BTW, a translation for Black Hat’s confession: "I thought you were dying,” “I thought you were dying, son."))
> 
> Title: who said YOU were in charge?  
> Description: Out of nowhere, Black Hat is called out of town for a villain meeting. To make matters worse, Flug is deep in headspace, and White Hat can't watch him. Thankfully- or perhaps not, at least for Flug- Demencia is more than willing to watch her “baby brother”! Let’s just hope they don’t burn the house down!
> 
> Title: heroic family values  
> Description: Now that we’ve seen what life is like for the Villainous family, what’s it like for the Heroic one? The kid might be ten times angrier, and they might get into a different brand of trouble, but at its core, they’re just as much family as the Villainous crew… just keep an eye on the kid and his bear!
> 
> Title: taming a stray  
> Description: After announcing his retirement, White Hat plans to live out the rest of his days in peace… that is, until local law enforcement are on his doorstep, begging him to help rehabilitate a juvenile villain. It’s been a long time since White Hat’s been gentle with a criminal- okay, he’s never been all that gentle with them- but he’s determined to atone for his sins through ‘fixing’ this young villain in the making. But is love enough to turn Slug Flys’ life around?
> 
> Title: this is not a hotel, but okay, you can come in  
> Description: How Black Hat came to acquire the three loyal companions who have taken residence in his mansion. Not all of them sought him out to be criminal masterminds, but sometimes, even the most willful souls can’t refuse a warm meal alongside good company, especially when their lives were terrible beforehand.
> 
> Title: kept you sleeping and eating  
> Description: After the events of “twice as embarrassing as your senior prom”, Flug is left unbelievably sick and weak, leaving Black Hat to feel guilty for what happened as he struggles to care for his sick kid. At least he has Demencia and 505 for backup!


End file.
